tips

I have realized that i have always appreciated nude photography and have even consider it as art for the better part of my adult life. It isnt until now that i have decided to take my passion on step forward. I want to start doing nude photography my self, my self being the photographer. I have done nature photography and am a follower of Rob Ross too. I have great respect for art, but i beleive my next step in appreciating art is start doing nude photography.

The reason i am reaching out to this community is because i want to make sure i take the appropriate steps forward to appear as professional and respectful as possible. As for some people this sort of thing might not even be considered as an art at all and down right disrespectful to some. That is why i am reaching out. Anything to help to steer me in the right direction to someday fufill my goal to be a nude photographer and help others appreciate this obviously underated style of art will be very much appreciated. Thanks folks.

You make a statement above....."i want to make sure i take the appropriate steps forward to appear as professional and respectful as possible.".......

Just a suggestion, but when you step into a group of people that you don't know as you have done here, maybe you should not greet them with 'sup peeps'. To me, that seems just impolite. You say you want to be respectful, this kind of greeting is not.

You say you have been shooting nature. Have you ever worked with people? Have you done any portraiture and do you know how to give posing direction? If not, this is where I would start. Posing models is not the easiest thing in the world to do, at least not for me. You'll quickly learn to appreciate the value of an experienced model the first time you work with one. A poorly posed model will kill a shoot very quickly.

Do you have lighting equipment and do you know how to use it? Lighting too, poorly done, will ruin your efforts.

You have said little about your photography background but from the bits you wrote above I'd suggest that you do some study and learning about portraiture and become very good at that first.

You made a vary valid point, about the fact that i poorly addressed a crowd of people i am only just beginning to to get acquainted to. Sorry, that is the way i address a crowd even in person, probably a bad habbit in general.

OK, So to answer your questions, ive only ever taken nature pictures in the PNW with my Cannon digital and pretty much only done landscape pecil sketches. I have never worked with people. As far as equiptment, its just me and my digital; no lighting.

I really appreciate the information you have provided, it very obvious that there is a very long road ahead of me while i learn this art and i am looking forward to it. As you put it, first thing for me to do is read some literature. Will check back in a while when i feel more confident to ask more questions. Thank you.

I mentioned to you to start practicing some portraiture. Do you have anyone that you can do this with....friends, family....that might be willing guinea pigs?

I have found the fastest way to learn is to experiment. Trying different poses, looking at the results, seeing what does or doesn't look right and then taking steps to correct it. As far as lighting, even if you have no equipment, go out with someone in the late afternoon, early evening when the light is pretty and the shadows deepen and play with different poses and shooting angles to see what best flatters your model. That is, after all, what you're trying to do.

If you can't recruit any friends or family, maybe approach a co worker that you a friendly relationship with. Be honest, simply tell them what you're trying to accomplish and see if they will help. Their motivation would be that out of this effort, they will probably end up with a few nice portraits of themselves to use as they like. Heck, there is one member here that asks women that he meets in restaurants or stores if they will pose for him.

Most importantly, have fun. Shoot lots of bad pictures......you will....and learn from those mistakes to build your knowledge and skills.

saea501 wrote in post #18632967You make a statement above....."i want to make sure i take the appropriate steps forward to appear as professional and respectful as possible.".......

Just a suggestion, but when you step into a group of people that you don't know as you have done here, maybe you should not greet them with 'sup peeps'. To me, that seems just impolite. You say you want to be respectful, this kind of greeting is not.

The same need for attention to the tone of language will apply if/when you reach the stage of trying to start a business relationship with a model.

I don't exactly experience "sup peeps" as disrespectful, as saea501 does, but it does sound too casual and juvenile. In general, the writing style in your posts gives me an impression of someone who's spent a lot more time texting with friends than reading anything published and serious. Of course, photography and English are two different things, and it may seem unfair that the way a person chooses words (and spells, types, and proofreads them) could limit his opportunities as a photographer. Realistically, however, communication skills enter, in a big way, into judgments of how professional someone is.

Ask (or bribe with beer and pizza) your friends and family to model as test subjects to get your feet wet; or use mannequins as test subjects if you don't have friends and family or pizza and beer.

Once you have a starting portfolio demonstrating basic portraiture skills, use that portfolio to recruit other subjects for clothed portraiture; aspiring models or just-for-fun models who will work TFP*. Continue to develop your skillset in lighting, composition, pose direction, post-processing, and rapport with the subject.* TFP = time-for-print, or TFCD = Time-For-CD, when a photographer and model of similar skill levels work together for mutual improvement of skills and portfolios.

Once you have a well-rounded portfolio demonstrating competence with portraiture of a variety of subjects and styles, you can branch out to bikini, lingerie, or implied-nude photos. If the models you've already worked with have this sort of subject matter in their own portfolios, hire them to model for you.

After you've demonstrated competence in swimwear, lingerie, and implied-nude photography, branch out to art nudes.

If you have no skill in photographing people, and no portfolio demonstrating that skill, then asking people to model nude will plant you squarely in the "creepy guy with camera who just wants to look at naked girls" category.

I used to shoot Macro, pretty well exclusively, and when I started shooting people I studied lighting techniques as much as I could, bought some studio strobes and put up a post on Facebook asking friends if they wanted family shoots, or portraits.

These worked out OK, and I learned from each shoot.

I then joined a model forum where I had access to many lovely models. I prefer to pay a good model than to work TFP/CD. A good model makes a massive difference to the results of a shoot, and that is worth paying for, in my opinion. Once you have the skills then you should have more to offer in the way of TFP. I still don't have the skills.

I shot portraiture for the first half a dozen shoots, then went on to a nude model shoot. I started by knowing roughly what I wanted to shoot, and how wanted to light the various shots. I was (and still am) careful of how the model may feel given that they are alone in a strangers house either nude or partially clothed. It is easy to say something that makes the model feel threatened.

The basic rule to make models feel you are respectful is to respect them . I try to provide a welcoming environment and somewhere the model feels safe. To that end I:

Provide a changing room where the model can change without feeling they are being watched.

Use the longest lens I can to keep a working distance between the model and myself.

Provide a robe for the model to wear when not in front of the camera, or when I need to be hovering over the model to adjust lights.

Provide suitable (non-alcoholic) drinks and regular breaks. I put the images in on the PC between sets, and we check them out together. I always offer the robe for this.

Talk to them. Preferably have a laugh.

Take care with the choice of jokes, and terminology for body parts. I have a few models tell me some things that photographers say, for example one tog said "nice pussy" and the model was not best pleased. And that was not the worst thing they have told me.

Do not assume that a hug or a peck on the cheek is an acceptable way of greeting a model. It is not how I would greet a female in my working environment, and the fact that a model will be naked in front of me should not make the relationship more 'familiar'.

Do not touch the model or of offer to help adjust clothing, hair etc unless asked for explicitly.

In general if the model feels safe, then they can enjoy the shoot. I may not be a good photographer, but my references from the models do make me proud. (I only show these as they show what is important to models).

Claire TopazI believe today might have been my 10th shoot with Bas! I absolutely love our shoots we work so well together and have such a lovely relaxed shoot every time! I really appreciate how after every set Bas shows me the images downloaded onto his laptop so we can review them and re do any which could have been made better. I also thank him massively for the cup of tea breaks and chats we always have.. he really is great company and such a good laugh Bas is 100% professional and respectful, his focus is always my face and no matter what I wear we always end up with stunning portraits.

KatyB (Katex)Had my second shoot with Bas, this time at my house. He arrived on time and with his usual happy self and the equipment he thought he might need and lots of clothes, lingerie and different props we could use.It never seems like long enough whilst shooting with Bas, at the end of each shoot we always have more ideas and the creativity just flows so easily. I hope Bas is a photographer I work with regularly, as it doesn't feel like a job at all whilst I'm in his company, surely it should be illegal to laugh so much whilst working!

Tann-MarieHad a lovely shoot with bas today at his lovely home. He was ready to start and had a wonderful selection of beautiful outfits to choose from. Bas is very professional and a great laugh to work withHighly recommended by me and can’t wait to shoot together again soon

Had a lovely second shoot with Bas today in Bristol. He is a real gentleman and has a real passion for photography, He is a perfectionist - and that is awesome.

I felt 100% comfortable around him, he's very open minded. And also a very bubbly and easy going- Which brings me to the fact I cannot wait for our next shoot already! ... Totally recommend Bas to all models, thanks so much for a wonderful shoot

I was getting ready to post something like this after my first nude photo shoot. After a couple of HH disasters, I spent the money and hired a professional with a good track record and verifiable references. It was worth the money No it was more than worth the money. She stayed in contact with me prior to the session so when she got here. We actually had some common ground.

I had clothes, water (I asked what her preference was) But I hadn't thought about a robe. I'm making sure to add that to my list.

I'd add a couple of things.Learn to make honest compliments. Not just the blanket that's beautiful stuff. Be specific.Don't hesitate to say you don't like a particular pose or head position or whatever. But be nice about it. Don't be a dick.

Have a plan. A shot list, a mood board or whatever you want to call it. Don't just walk in and expect miracles to happen. Take your time, but don't chimp. Let them see what you are doing. In my case, she knew more about what I was doing than I did.

And I need to emphasize the comment of making them feel safe and comfortable.

BasAndrews wrote in post #18640660. . . I prefer to pay a good model than to work TFP/CD. A good model makes a massive difference to the results of a shoot, and that is worth paying for, in my opinion. Once you have the skills then you should have more to offer in the way of TFP. I still don't have the skills . . .

I strongly agree with everything you say except the comment about your skills. You do some really good work, better than many who bill themselves as wonderful.

Take a look at your portfolio as if it were another person's work. Wouldn't you agree the guy was good? Sure, you are still learning but that's always true of the best people in any field.

BasAndrews wrote in post #18640660I used to shoot Macro, pretty well exclusively, and when I started shooting people I studied lighting techniques as much as I could, bought some studio strobes and put up a post on Facebook asking friends if they wanted family shoots, or portraits.

These worked out OK, and I learned from each shoot.

I then joined a model forum where I had access to many lovely models. I prefer to pay a good model than to work TFP/CD. A good model makes a massive difference to the results of a shoot, and that is worth paying for, in my opinion. Once you have the skills then you should have more to offer in the way of TFP. I still don't have the skills.

I shot portraiture for the first half a dozen shoots, then went on to a nude model shoot. I started by knowing roughly what I wanted to shoot, and how wanted to light the various shots. I was (and still am) careful of how the model may feel given that they are alone in a strangers house either nude or partially clothed. It is easy to say something that makes the model feel threatened.

The basic rule to make models feel you are respectful is to respect them . I try to provide a welcoming environment and somewhere the model feels safe. To that end I:

Provide a changing room where the model can change without feeling they are being watched.

Use the longest lens I can to keep a working distance between the model and myself.

Provide a robe for the model to wear when not in front of the camera, or when I need to be hovering over the model to adjust lights.

Provide suitable (non-alcoholic) drinks and regular breaks. I put the images in on the PC between sets, and we check them out together. I always offer the robe for this.

Talk to them. Preferably have a laugh.

Take care with the choice of jokes, and terminology for body parts. I have a few models tell me some things that photographers say, for example one tog said "nice pussy" and the model was not best pleased. And that was not the worst thing they have told me.

Do not assume that a hug or a peck on the cheek is an acceptable way of greeting a model. It is not how I would greet a female in my working environment, and the fact that a model will be naked in front of me should not make the relationship more 'familiar'.

Do not touch the model or of offer to help adjust clothing, hair etc unless asked for explicitly.

In general if the model feels safe, then they can enjoy the shoot. I may not be a good photographer, but my references from the models do make me proud. (I only show these as they show what is important to models).

Claire TopazI believe today might have been my 10th shoot with Bas! I absolutely love our shoots we work so well together and have such a lovely relaxed shoot every time! I really appreciate how after every set Bas shows me the images downloaded onto his laptop so we can review them and re do any which could have been made better. I also thank him massively for the cup of tea breaks and chats we always have.. he really is great company and such a good laugh Bas is 100% professional and respectful, his focus is always my face and no matter what I wear we always end up with stunning portraits.

KatyB (Katex)Had my second shoot with Bas, this time at my house. He arrived on time and with his usual happy self and the equipment he thought he might need and lots of clothes, lingerie and different props we could use.It never seems like long enough whilst shooting with Bas, at the end of each shoot we always have more ideas and the creativity just flows so easily. I hope Bas is a photographer I work with regularly, as it doesn't feel like a job at all whilst I'm in his company, surely it should be illegal to laugh so much whilst working!

Tann-MarieHad a lovely shoot with bas today at his lovely home. He was ready to start and had a wonderful selection of beautiful outfits to choose from. Bas is very professional and a great laugh to work withHighly recommended by me and can’t wait to shoot together again soon

Had a lovely second shoot with Bas today in Bristol. He is a real gentleman and has a real passion for photography, He is a perfectionist - and that is awesome.

I felt 100% comfortable around him, he's very open minded. And also a very bubbly and easy going- Which brings me to the fact I cannot wait for our next shoot already! ... Totally recommend Bas to all models, thanks so much for a wonderful shoot

great reviews Bas!

i have to ask and im sorry for disrupting the thread, but the models say you have the great selection of lingerie and other outfits...

do you get the models sizes beforehand so you know what to buy or do you just buy in quantity and cover the bases as far as sizing and styles?

that seems like a highly expensive way to operate but then, i dont shoot these sort of images. i BARELY shoot posed people at that...

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